The Bible Book

144

FROM EVERLASTING

TO EVERLASTING

YOU ARE GOD

PSALM 90:2, THE NATURE OF GOD

U

nlike any other ancient

Near Eastern religion, the

Israelite one had no family

tree of the divine or account of how

God came into being. The first

verse of the Bible simply assumes

God as creator of the world, a

source of being beyond whom there

is no other: “In the beginning God

created the heavens and the earth.”

Psalm 90—which the Bible

attributes to “Moses the man

of God”—picks up this concept:

“Before the mountains were born

or you brought forth the earth

and the world, from everlasting

place” (Psalm 90:1). The prophet

Isaiah combines these two

concepts in an exclamation of

wonder: “Holy, holy, holy is the

Lord Almighty; the whole earth

is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3).

Wrathful God

Psalm 90 also teaches us more

about the wrathful nature of God,

as experienced by the ancient

God’s glory dwells in the physical

realm, according to Isaiah. As the

creator of the vast and beautiful world

that His people inhabit, Earth itself

becomes a symbol of His might.

IN BRIEF

PA S SAGE

Psalm 90

THEME

God’s nature

SETTING

The universe All of which

is created by God.

KEY FIGURES

Moses God’s servant, to

whom Psalm 90 is attributed.

to everlasting you are God.” The

sentiment behind the phrase

“everlasting to everlasting” is

repeated in many of the names

given to God by his followers. He

is “Alpha and Omega,” the first and

last letters of the Greek alphabet.

He is kadosh, or holy, in Hebrew,

meaning transcendent, beyond

and above all normal experience.

Yet He is not cut off from

humanity in some other realm.

His kavod, glory, dwells within his

creation, pervading and sustaining

it—which is perhaps why, in

Psalm 90, the author tells God:

“Lord, you have been our dwelling

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145

See also: Only One God 90–91 ■ The Psalms 138–43 ■ The Lord’s Prayer 212–13

WISDOM AND PROPHETS

Israelites. The prayer emphasizes

the greatness of His anger: “If only

we knew the power of your anger!

Your wrath is as great as the fear

that is your due” (Psalm 90:11).

The author describes the people as

fearing God’s wrath above all else:

“We are consumed by your anger

and terrified by your indignation”

(Psalm 90:7).

Collaborative nature

Relationships are at the heart of

God’s being. Even in the divine

realm, He appears to enjoy some

kind of companionship. There is

a plural, for example, in the first

creation account: “Let us make

man in our image” (Genesis 2:26–

28). From humans, God appears to

seek collaboration, dialogue, and

even friendship. His actions are

responses to people’s behavior

or appeals. “I have heard them

crying out,” he tells Moses at the

burning bush, “so I have come

down to rescue them.” God chooses

a human, Moses, to carry out the

rescue of his people, allowing God

to work with and through him.

Unavoidably, the relationship brings

conflict. God does not hesitate to

punish His chosen people when

they stray from obedience. Still, as

Psalm 90 attests, God is capable

of compassion: “Satisfy us ... with

your unfailing love, that we may

sing for joy” (90:14). Although the

relationship between God and

His people sometimes breaks

down, God loves His people, and

is always working to repair it. ■

An emotional God

The biblical writers are not

afraid to give God certain

human attributes, including

emotions. The first chapter

of Genesis shows God feeling

satisfaction: “God saw all that

He had made, and it was very

good.” A few chapters later,

this joy turned to regret and

grief. Faced with human

corruption before the Flood,

the “Lord was grieved that He

had made man ... His heart

was filled with pain.”

Expressions of God’s love

are as frequent in the Bible as

his anger: the prophet Amos

describes a fiery display of

God’s revulsion at rituals

performed without holiness of

heart. “I despise your religious

feasts; I cannot stand your

assemblies.” However, He is

shown to be open to changing

His mind when His heart is

appealed to: “My heart is

changed within me,” God tells

the prophet Hosea; “all my

compassion is aroused. I will

not carry out my fierce anger.”

In Psalm 90, Moses, depicted here

in a sculpture by Michelangelo in

Rome’s San Pietro in Vicoli basilica,

describes God’s compassion and

anger, as well as his omnipotence.

The Lord is near to all who

call on Him, to all who call

on Him in truth. He fulfills

the desires of those who fear

Him; He hears their cry

and saves them.

Psalm 145:18–19

The names and nature of God

The Jewish tradition has many names for God,

which recognize different attributes: from shaddai

(judge) to kano (jealous) to tzevaot (one who

battles the wicked).

The New Testament places a greater emphasis

on calling God “Father,” and Christians see God

as having this intimate, paternal role in their lives.

Muslims use the name Allah, which simply means

“the one God.” The belief that there is no other

God but God (“la ilaha ilallah”) is the central tenet

of the Islamic faith.

Judaism

Christianity

Islam

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